Black Brothers, Inc. : The Violent Rise and Fall of Philadelphia's Black Mafia

This book was amazing.It held my interest from the first to the last chapter. Even the notes were interesting.I am from Philadelphia and a lot of the people mentioned I can remember reading about in the daily news. I will be sure to tell others about this book.

I SAW THE AD ON T.V. BEFORE THE BOOK CAME OUT AND MY WIFE BOUGHT IT FOR ME AFTER I EXPRESSED INTEREST IN IT . I OWNED A LARGE POOL ROOM IN WEST PHILA. AND I WAS A ''REGULAR'' ON 52ND ST, SO I SAW A LOT OF THESE PEOPLE ON ALMOST A DAILY BASIS !! IN FACT, I PULLED UP ABOUT 10 MINUTES AFTER FOO-FOO REGAN HAD GOTTEN SHOT. I CAN STILL SMELL THE AROMA OF THOSE ''MAMMA JAMMAS'' HE SOLD . I ALSO REMEMBER THE NIGHT DENNIS SWIFT GOT SHOT ON 52ND ST. AS STATED IN THE BOOK, DENNIS WAS THE ALLEGED SHOOTER OF FOO-FOO. I HAD THE DISTINCTION OF COMING UP RIGHT AFTER DENNIS WAS SHOT ALSO !! MY TIMING WAS ''OFF' BY 10 MINUTES IN BOTH CASES!! I REMEMBER 98 PCT. OF THE INCIDENTS IN BLACK BROS. AND READING ABOUT THOSE THINGS AND THE PEOPLE INVOLVED BRINGS BACK SO MANY MEMORIES.I REMEMBER THE DAY I HAD TO ASK RONALD HARVEY TO PLEASE NOT COME INTO THE POOL ROOM ANYMORE . THAT WAS ONE OF THE SCARIEST MOMENTS IN MY LIFE !! BUT HE KNEW I WASN'T TRYING TO BE A ''TOUGH GUY'' AND HE SAID HE UNDERSTOOD THAT I HAD A BUSINESS TO RUN AND THERE WAS NO PROBLEM !!SO MANY MEMORIES !! I HAVE BOUGHT THE BOOK FOUR TIMES AND LENT IT OUT EACH TIME AND NEVER GOT ANY OF THEM BACK . I WILL BUY IT AGAIN AND READ IT AGAIN FOR ALTHOUGH THERE IS SO MUCH VIOLENCE, THOSE DAYS WERE SOME OF THE MOST FUN DAYS AND NIGHTS OF MY LIFE !! I ESPECIALLY REMEMBER THE TIMES ON 52ND ST. WHEN ''COUPE DEVILLES'', A CLUB, WAS OPEN . WE SAW SO MANY CELEBRITIES THERE AND I CAN STILL SMELL THE STEAKS AND HOAGIES AND THE OTHER SMELLS ASSOCIATED WITH ''THE STRIP''.I CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF THIS BOOK AND EVERYONE WHO I HAVE TURNED ON TO IT SAYS THE SAME THING !!I HAVE TO COMMENT ON THE SADDEST PART OF THE BOOK AND THAT IS WHEN I THUMB THRU IT , I KEEP SEEING THAT LARGE PICTURE OF ''TANK''/LARRIS FRAZIER !! HE WAS A VERY GOOD FRIEND OF MINE AND IT HURTS TO SEE HIS PICTURE STARING OUT AT ME AND KNOWING HE WILL NEVER BE A FREE MAN AGAIN !!

Man. Now, I understand what they mean by South Philly! As I was a teen in Los Angeles at the time, I thought that where I lived was 'slightly' rough.Compared to South Philadelphia, I was living in Disneyland. I recently finished 'Black Gangsters Of Chicago' by Ron Chepesiuk (another compelling read).I say this (somewhat jokingly), the actor/rapper Will Smith made it out of there? How? (But, I digress...)I do not remember any of this violence making it onto our television sets in Los Angeles.Until the massacre of Hamas Abdul Khaalis's family occurred in a house purchased for them by a certain Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul Jabbar) was broadcast. That was BIG NEWS on our side of the country. Not having the information in this book, the descriptions of the scenes were nothing short of horrific. Only cold-blooded killers could have commited a crime at this level. But, these were the very people that Khaalis upset with his rhetoric putting down the Honorable Elijah Muhammed, who headed the Muslim nation from Chicago. The ensuing investigation continued to make the airwaves in Los Angeles for quite some time.Well-written, well researched. It was obvious that Mr. Griffin could have kept on going (and going) with the story. This book could have been 1000 pages, and he still wouldn't have finished.I recommend this book to everyone who has an interest in Urban crime (or crime, period).I rate this book: 4 stars!

Can’t wait to read from cover to cover

Still reading the book but so far it is really eye opening. Having lived in North Philly and knowing some of the people in this book made this read real for me. There was a man in the book who I truly admired as a child and it was really heart breaking to learn he may have been a hit man for Black Brothers Inc. I lived around this stuff as a child and never had a clue what going on. All I can say to that is, thank God.

Very interesting read, full of detailed events regarding Philadelphia’s Black Mafia. Although the book is not in chronological order I definitely appreciated the Author’s research.

I can't believe all of this was going on without widespread public knowledge for all those years. It's disgusting to know our politicians are beholden or at least closely connected to the criminal element in Philadelphia. Shame on the politicians and the system! Those killers in the black mafia should be put underneath the prison for all the pain suffering they have caused so many people!

LOST MY TRAIN OF THOUGHT ON THIS ONE,HE KEPT GOING BACK AND FORTH.

Only read the first two chapters so far - but interested so far to know how they were established back then